Europe AC Installation Costs Up to €1,500: Unaffordable Cooling Solution

Blue Whale News, June 29 (Reporter Lu Pengpeng) An extreme heatwave has been sweeping Europe in recent days, with Germany, the UK, France, and other countries repeatedly breaking high-temperature records, and many countries issuing heat warnings.

In this context, Chinese-made air conditioners and other cooling appliances have become hot products on e-commerce platforms, with monthly sales exceeding 10,000 units online, and offline stores even seeing shortages.

Over 40°C heatwave scorches Europe; multiple countries issue heat alerts

According to CCTV News, a World Meteorological Organization official said on the 26th that the heatwave that has swept Western Europe and broken multiple temperature records will continue to spread eastward, affecting the entire European continent.

Data shows that France has been hit by consecutive days of heatwave, with temperatures in western France rising to 43°C, the highest June temperature on record in France. The UK's temperature records were broken for three consecutive days from June 24 to 26, reaching 37.3°C on the 26th. On the 26th, over 1,000 schools in England and Wales were fully or partially closed. In Germany, the temperature measured on the 27th in the Mücken-Drewitz area reached 41.5°C, breaking the record. The persistent high temperatures have damaged highways in many areas, with some sections closed or speed-limited. The railway authority urged people to reduce long-distance travel. Italy is also suffering from extreme heat, with the government issuing red heat alerts for 18 cities including Rome, Venice, Florence, and Milan.

Despite record temperatures, the penetration rate of air conditioning in European countries is far lower than in other major economies, with only about 20% of households having cooling equipment such as air conditioners.

Reasons are multiple: In the past, especially in northern Europe, prolonged high temperatures were not frequent, so there was little demand for AC installation. Additionally, to address climate change, Europe has set green development goals, and some countries have implemented policies restricting AC use. For example, Spain introduced a regulation in 2022 requiring that public places maintain AC temperatures no lower than 27°C.

Under heatwave, single AC product monthly sales exceed 10,000; Chinese brands break through with cost performance

Blue Whale News interviewed a Chinese person who has lived in Paris for ten years, who said that Paris has been experiencing continuous high temperatures recently. "In previous summers, even if it was hot, there were rarely such extreme temperatures. Walking on the street feels like you're melting."

Under the scorching heat, the demand for home cooling has surged. According to the interviewee, in France, ordinary mobile air conditioners are priced between 200 and 500 euros, while split-type air conditioners cost about 500 to 1,200 euros.

Blue Whale News checked Amazon France and found that by best-selling ranking, the top two are both Midea air conditioners. One model had more than 10,000 customers purchasing in the past month, priced at 166 euros; another had more than 7,000 orders, priced at 459 euros.

In this heatwave, Chinese brand air conditioners have stood out with their cost-performance advantage, becoming the first choice for many local consumers.

"Midea, Haier, Gree and other brands are available in France. At the same configuration, domestic brands are generally much cheaper than European, American, and Japanese brands," the Chinese person told Blue Whale News.

According to CCTV News, China's exports of household air conditioners to Western European countries grew 9.7% year-on-year in the first five months of 2026; mobile air conditioners saw particularly strong growth, with a year-on-year increase of over 70%. Many companies report that consumers in several Western European markets are queuing to buy, with offline stores out of stock and supply falling short of demand.

'Affordable to buy, expensive to install, expensive to use': installation costs up to €1,500

Notably, buying an air conditioner in Europe is not the hardest part; it is the installation that truly deters consumers. The one-time installation cost for a split air conditioner typically ranges from 300 to 1,500 euros, with the highest quote even exceeding the price of the unit itself.

Why are installation costs so high? The local Chinese analyzed for Blue Whale News that most buildings in Paris are decades or even centuries old, with thick walls, making drilling much more difficult than in modern buildings. In addition, installing the outdoor unit in high-rise residential buildings involves high-altitude work, increasing risk. Most apartments also require prior application to the property management, and only after approval by the homeowners' association can construction proceed, making the process very cumbersome.

At the same time, the hourly wage for local installation workers is high. With multiple costs combined, split air conditioners become 'affordable to buy, expensive to install' appliances locally.

Because of the difficulty and high cost of installation, portable mobile air conditioners have become the preferred cooling solution for local residents, especially renters.

However, Chinese companies have launched customized products to address the restrictions on exterior wall protection and high installation costs faced by European countries.

For example, the 'Midea U-shaped Smart Inverter Window Air Conditioner', with monthly sales exceeding 7,000, features a U-shaped hollow design that can be inserted into the window gap and fixed for use. After installation, the window can still be opened to a limited extent, circumventing the high installation labor costs, property approvals, and drilling difficulties associated with old walls in Europe. It is a popular model in overseas rental markets.

Electricity costs are also a barrier: split AC may add 30-80 euros/month, mobile AC 50-100 euros/month

It's worth noting that buying an air conditioner locally is only the first step; the subsequent electricity bills cannot be ignored. The local Chinese reported that based on daily use of 6-8 hours, a split air conditioner would add 30-80 euros per month to the electricity bill; a more energy-intensive mobile air conditioner could add 50-100 euros per month.

Therefore, energy efficiency has become a core consideration for local consumers when choosing air conditioners. On e-commerce platforms, Chinese brands' high-efficiency energy-saving models also lead in sales.